Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for a vibration damping wall mainly used in wooden buildings or steel structure buildings for reducing an earthquake force that exerts on buildings to improve the horizontal capacity of structural frames, as well as a method of connecting vibration damping devices.
Description of the Related Art
Techniques relating to vibration damping devices installed to structural frames of buildings and techniques relating to methods of connecting the vibration damping devices and the structural frame for preventing buildings from destruction upon occurrence of huge earthquake have been provided so far (refer to JP-A No. 2009-275473).
FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 illustrate a vibration damping device and a method of connecting vibration damping devices and a structural frame shown in JP-A No. 2009-275473 of a building. FIG. 6 illustrates a structure frame 60 of a building. The structural frame 60 comprises a foundation 61, a beam 62 and vertical members 63 (first vertical member 63a and a second vertical member 63b). A first vibration damping device 70a is attached about at the midway of a first vertical member 63a by fixing means such as bolts or screws and a second vibration damping device 70b is attached about at the midway of a second vertical member 63a by fixing means such as bolts or screws.
Corner fittings 71 are fitted each by way of fixing means such as bolts or screws at four corners defined by the first vertical member 63a and the second vertical member 63b, the foundation 61, and the beam 62. The four corner fittings 71 and the vibration damping devices 70a and 70b are connected in an X-form by brace members 72 such as steel pipe brace members as illustrates in FIG. 7.
The vibration damping device 70 is usually in a state as illustrated in FIG. 8A and, when an earthquake occurs, the lateral sides 73 expand or contract by the deformation of bend portions of the vibration damping device 70 as illustrated in FIGS. 8B and 8C due to earthquake shaking. Then, the earthquake energy is decayed by repeating expansion/contraction to absorb swaying of an entire building structure and prevent the building from destruction.